‘Kick-Ass 3′ to Conclude the Series with a Major Death?

POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD!

Kick-Ass presented moviegoers with a very different kind of superhero story. The 2010 film – which starred Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the titular hero – aimed to address the question of what would happen if an average, everyday teen were to actually go moonlighting as a crime-fighting vigilante.

A sequel is on the way this summer, and now, Kick-Ass comic book writer Mark Millar – who’s also busy overseeing Fox’s shared Marvel movie universe – reveals just how committed the series is to portraying the realistic (and inherently violent) repercussions of being a superhero.

According to SFX, Millar said that a third film is being planned but that it would conclude the main character’s arc in a way that may surprise fans used to the endless adventures of other comic book icons. Here’s what he had to say:

“‘Kick-Ass 3′ is going to be the last one, though. I told Universal this and they asked me, ‘What does that mean?’ I said, ‘It means that this is where it all ends.’ They said, ‘Do they all die at the end?’ I said, ‘Maybe’ – because this is a realistic superhero story. And if someone doesn’t have a bullet proof vest like Superman and doesn’t have Batman’s millions then eventually he is going to turn around the wrong corner and get his head kicked in or get shot in the face. So ‘Kick-Ass’ needs to reflect that. There has to be something dramatic at the end, he cannot do this for the rest of his life.”

The concept of a Kick-Ass trilogy that follows the rise and fall of a “real-life” superhero makes a lot of sense. The second film will already introduce the fact that these characters are struggling to maintain the duality between their true selves and their alter-egos (a common trope for superhero sequels like Superman 2, Spider-man 2 and, yes, The Dark Knight). But would the filmmakers really kill off the lead character? Quite possibly.

From the outset, Kick-Ass established that Dave Lizewski (Taylor-Johnson) was in over his head, and if the films truly hope to retain some semblance of realism, his death would be an inevitability. Plus, unlike heroes like Batman and Superman, the Kick-Ass films are each based on specific comic book stories. There’s no well of untold stories out there. Both the Kick-Ass 2 and Hit Girl comics will be included in the story. So, much like something like Watchmen, there is a finite story to tell.

Given Millar’s remarks above, it’s a safe bet that – even if Kick-Ass lives to the end credits of the third film – the franchise might wrap up his arc by having him quit the hero game for good. Of course, this is all pure speculation at this point, as the second film has yet to be released.

How would you like the prospective Kick-Ass trilogy to end, Screen Rant readers? Would the character’s death (perhaps during an act of heroism) be a satisfying conclusion? Let us know in the comments.